Independent producers backing brave plots, but censor puts them under scanner: Swara...

Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar has criticised the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for making things difficult for independent filmmakers who are trying to deal with brave topics with their cinema.

The actor, who was in the national capital for the music launch for her upcoming film Anaarkali of Aarah, said, “Kudos to independent producers like Sandip Kapur who are changing Bollywood. Such producers have faith in scripts like Anaarkali of Aarah. Then studios jump in to acquire them. They are doing a brave job. The censor board is putting them under scanner way before the release. It is bad as they are already in a vulnerable state.”

The CBFC had chopped some of the bold scenes from the movie which later leaked online but the actress, who plays a singer known for her double-meaning songs, said nothing in the film was done to sensationalise things. “Nothing in the film has been put out of context. Nothing has been stuffed distastefully. If you will see things without any context, you are bound to be mistaken. Every song, every line, every dance number in the film, every ‘bold’ scene in the film has been shot due to a specific reason. This is a brave film, provokes you to ask questions from yourself.”

Swara said her film, directed by debutant Avinash Das, narrates the real story of item girls beyond the glitz and glamour. “It’s a glimpse into the lives of item girls. That’s the best combination for an actor where you get to have fun, do the glamourous bits also, and tell a content-rich story... We have maintained a balance. We never went crass with the songs.”